Psychopharmacology Speakers Kit

Psychopharmacology in Plain English

Program Description

If you are like a lot of therapists, many of your clients are taking psychotropic medicines prescribed by a number of different health care professionals. These medications stream in from psychiatrists, family physicians, nurse practitioners, and, inevitably, there are always those clients who have no idea from where they got the prescriptions or the reasons behind them. Despite who wrote the script, it is your responsibility to know your clients’ symptoms and reactions to medications, and to coordinate their care. This can be tricky, because therapists need to be well-versed in the language of medications and have the skills to communicate not only to their clients about medications, but to prescribers as well.

This one-day seminar focuses on providing practical and useful information about antidepressants, anti anxiety medications, and medication for insomnia, as well as the tools to handle the ethical decisions that surround psychopharmacology. Familiarize yourself with appropriate aspects of various ethics guidelines and examine how those guidelines might apply to your practice. Get to the “bottom line” on the most prescribed antidepressants, anti-anxiety medications, and medication for insomnia on the market today, and investigate the top medicines from each category that are the most important to know. You will leave knowing how they work, as well as the benefits and side effects associated with each. If you know how these work, you’ll be able to understand nearly all of the rest. Cheat sheets for future reference will be available.

Program Objectives

• Understand why (and what) you should know about psychopharmacology

• Anticipate the most frequent questions your clients and prescribers will have about medications

• Know how to be ethical when discussing medications with clients and prescribers

VandenBos, G. R., & Williams, S. (2000). Is psychologists’ involvement in the prescribing of psychotropic medication really a new activity? Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 31(6), 615-618. doi:10.1037/0735-7028.31.6.615

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